J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation Scholarships

In 1982 the J.L. Turner Legal Association began awarding scholarships annually to law students.  In 1996, J.L. Turner Legal Association created a separate non-profit foundation, the J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation ("JLTLAF"), which took over the fundraising and awarding of scholarships.  Each year since 1996, JLTLAF has awarded scholarships to law students that are from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, or attending law school in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Funds raised from the Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet are used to fund the scholarships.

In 2026, the scholarship program was re-named the JLTLA Foundation Civil Rights & Community Service Scholarships, in honor of the very distinct history of the JLTLA founders’ involvement in the struggle for civil rights in this country, and their core commitment to community service in DFW. These scholarships seek to recognize students with a demonstrated interest in civil rights and a commitment to community service.

There are two distinct types of JLTLA Foundation Civil Rights & Community Service Scholarships: those awarded primarily on the basis of merit, and those based primarily on financial need.

I.  Merit-Based Scholarships: Our merit-based Scholarships are primarily academic scholarship awards. The Merit Scholarships for 2026 are as follows:

The Barbara Jordan Scholarship 

The Fred Finch Scholarship
The Marie Trahan/Susman Godfrey Scholarship
The Phyllis Lister Brown Memorial - Judge's Scholarship 

The Rhonda Hunter Scholarship

II. Financial Need Scholarships: Although JLTLAF encourages academic excellence, the need-based scholarships focus on financial need and are not primarily academic scholarships. In selecting financial-need scholarship winners, we will consider an applicant's need, disadvantaged circumstances, demonstrated interest in civil rights, community involvement, and other factors, in addition to merely academic standing.  The financial-need scholarships for 2026 are as follows:

2026 Juanita Harris Legacy Scholarship

L.A. Bedford Memorial Scholarship  

Karen McCloud Memorial Scholarship
Capt. Richard Stewart, JAG Corp. U.S. Navy (Ret.) Legal Education Scholarship
Chief Justice Carolyn Wright Scholarship
General Financial Need Awards 

Eligibility: To be eligible for the 2026 JLTLAF Law Student Scholarships, you must: A) be a United States Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident; B) be currently enrolled in an ABA accredited law school in the United States; C) be in good academic standing at the law school (proof of academic standing is required); and D) be either: 1) a second or third year law student that is from the DFW Metroplex; OR 2) a second or third year law student that attends law school in the DFW Metroplex.

Current Application Only:  Only the 2026 scholarship application may be used to apply for scholarships in 2026; previous versions of the application will not be considered.  

Deadline:  Completed scholarship applications must be received by JLTLAF on or before the Deadline of 5:00pm Central Standard Time on September 25, 2026. Incomplete applications and applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.  Please note that only one scholarship will be awarded per applicant.

Scholarship Presentation: The 2026 scholarships will be presented at the J.L. Turner Legal Association Foundation's Scholarship and Awards Gala that will be held on November 14, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.